MEDIUM INSTALLATION OF A VEHICLE, EMPTYING DEVICE FOR A MEDIUM LINE, AND VEHICLE WITH THE MEDIUM INSTALLATION

Abstract

An emptying device for a medium line of a vehicle, such as a recreational vehicle, can be connected between a medium tank of the vehicle and the medium line to be emptied. A first non-return valve is arranged in a first connecting line between the medium tank and the medium line to be emptied and permits a flow of the medium from the medium tank into the medium line, but blocks a reverse flow. A second connecting line opens into the first connecting line downstream of the first non-return valve. The second connecting line, for emptying the medium line, can be connected to a pressure medium source and can be acted upon by the pressure medium in order to empty the medium line. There is also described a medium installation of a vehicle and a corresponding vehicle.

Claims

1. A medium installation for a vehicle, the medium installation comprising: a medium tank, a medium line fluidically connected to said medium tank, and a feed pump for supplying a medium from the medium tank through said medium line; an emptying device for selectively emptying said medium line, said emptying device being connected between said medium tank and said medium line; said emptying device having a first connecting line between said medium tank and said medium line to be emptied, and a first non-return valve in said first connecting line to permit a flow of a medium from said medium tank via said emptying device into said medium line and to block a reverse flow; said emptying device having a second connecting line which, viewed in a direction of flow of the medium from said medium tank towards said medium line, is fluidically connected to open into said first connecting line downstream of said first non-return valve; and a pressure medium source being a compressor to be connected to said second connecting line and to pressurize said second connecting line with a gaseous pressure medium and to empty said medium line by the pressure medium; said feed pump and said compressor being electrically connected to a DC circuit of the vehicle via a positive pole connection and a ground connection, and a changeover switch is connected in said ground connection of said feed pump and said pressure medium source in order to alternately interrupt the respective ground connection of said feed pump and said pressure medium source or to connect the respective ground connection to the DC circuit.

2. The medium installation according to claim 1, further comprising a second non-return valve arranged in said second connecting line and configured to allow a flow of the pressure medium from said pressure medium source via said second connecting line in a direction of said medium line to be emptied, and to block a reverse flow.

3. The medium installation according to claim 1, wherein said emptying device comprises a housing which encloses said first and second non-return valves and said first and second connecting lines.

4. The medium installation according to claim 1, wherein said medium tank is a freshwater tank or a wastewater tank and said medium line is a freshwater line or a wastewater line.

5. The medium installation according to claim 1, wherein the gaseous pressure medium is air.

6. The medium installation according to claim 1, wherein said feed pump is disposed in said medium tank and is configured, upon actuation, to pump the medium via an outlet tap of said medium line.

7. An emptying device for selectively emptying a medium line of a medium installation in a vehicle, the emptying device comprising: a first connecting line fluidically connected between a medium tank and the medium line to be emptied; a first non-return valve in said first connecting line to permit a flow of a medium from the medium tank via the emptying device into the medium line and to block a reverse flow of the medium from the medium line to the medium tank; a second connecting line which, viewed in a direction of flow of the medium from the medium tank towards the medium line to be emptied, is fluidically connected to open into said first connecting line downstream of said first non-return valve; and a pressure medium source being a compressor to be connected to said second connecting line and to pressurize said second connecting line with a gaseous pressure medium and to empty the medium line by the pressure medium; wherein a feed pump for feeding the medium and said pressure medium source are electrically connected to a DC circuit of the vehicle via a positive pole connection and a ground connection, and a changeover switch is connected in said ground connection of said feed pump and said pressure medium source in order to alternately interrupt the respective ground connection of said feed pump and said pressure medium source or to connect the respective ground connection to the DC circuit.

8. The medium installation according to claim 7, further comprising a second non-return valve in said second connecting line, said second non-return valve being configured to allow a flow of the pressure medium from said pressure medium source via said second connecting line in a direction of said medium line to be emptied, and to block a reverse flow.

9. The emptying device according to claim 7, further comprising a housing which encloses said first and second non-return valves and said first and second connecting lines.

10. The emptying device according to claim 7, wherein the medium tank is a freshwater tank or a wastewater tank and the medium line is a freshwater line or a wastewater line.

11. The emptying device according to claim 7, wherein the gaseous pressure medium is air.

12. The emptying device according to claim 7, wherein the feed pump is disposed in the medium tank and is configured, upon actuation, to pump the medium via an outlet tap of the medium line.

13. A vehicle, comprising a medium installation according to claim 1.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13 being a recreational vehicle.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14 being a vehicle selected from the group consisting of a recreational vehicle, a coach, a motorhome, and a boat.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0036] FIG. 1 a schematic diagram of a medium installation of a vehicle, comprising an emptying device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

[0037] FIG. 2 is a schematic of an emptying device according to a possible embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0038] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, in particular, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a schematic representation of a medium installation 1 of a vehicle, such as a recreational vehicle, comprising an emptying device 2 according to one embodiment. The emptying device 2 is installed between a medium tank 3 and a medium line 4 to be emptied. This is done, for example, by disconnecting one end of the medium line 4 from the medium tank 3, interposing the emptying device 2 and, on the one hand, connecting the medium tank 3 to the emptying device 2 and, on the other hand, connecting the latter to the medium line 4.

[0039] The medium tank 3 may, by way of example, be a freshwater or wastewater tank and the medium line 4 to be emptied may be a freshwater or wastewater line. A feed pump 5 can be assigned to the medium tank 3, which is arranged inside the medium tank 3 and is used to convey the medium, here e.g. water, such as freshwater via the medium line 4 to an outlet tap 6.

[0040] A pressure medium source 7, such as a compressor, is arranged on the emptying device 2, which optionally introduces a gaseous pressure medium, in particular air, into the medium line 4 to empty it.

[0041] The feed pump 5 and the pressure medium source 7 are each connected via a positive pole line (dashed) and a ground line (dotted) to a DC power supply 13 of the vehicle for their electrical operation. A changeover switch 8 is arranged in the ground line connecting the feed pump 5 and the pressure medium source 7 (indicated in simplified form by the dotted and dashed lines) in order to alternately interrupt the respective ground line of the feed pump and the pressure medium source 7 or to connect it to the DC power supply.

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the emptying device 2 shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0043] The emptying device 2 has a first non-return valve or check valve 9, which is arranged in a first connecting line 10 of the emptying device 2 between the medium tank 3 and the medium line 4 to be emptied. After the installation of the emptying device 2, the connecting line 10 is thus part of the medium line 4 to be emptied. The first non-return valve 9 is set up in such a way that it allows a flow of the medium from the medium tank 3 via the emptying device 2, more precisely the first connecting line 10, into the medium line 4 to be emptied, but blocks a reverse flow.

[0044] Furthermore, the emptying device 2 comprises a second connecting line 11, which, viewed in the direction of flow of the medium from the medium tank 3 towards the medium line 4 to be emptied, opens into the first connecting line 10 downstream of the first non-return valve 9 and is connected to it in a flow-conducting manner.

[0045] A second non-return valve or check valve 12 is arranged in the second connecting line 11, which allows the pressure medium to flow from the pressure medium source 7 via the second connecting line 11 in the direction of the medium line 4 to be drained, but blocks a reverse flow. This effectively prevents the medium from reaching the pressure medium source 7. The medium line 4 is then pressurized as required via the pressure medium source 7 and the second connecting line 11 in order to flush out the medium, i.e., to empty it of medium. This means that pressure medium is introduced into the medium line 4 in order to empty it.

[0046] The emptying device comprises a housing (indicated by the rectangle) that surrounds the first and second non-return valves 9, 12 and the first and second connecting lines 10, 11. This achieves a compact design of the emptying device 2 according to the invention.

[0047] The emptying device 2 according to the invention can therefore be easily retrofitted between the medium tank 3 and the medium line 4 connected to it in existing vehicle medium installations. This prevents a residual amount of medium from remaining in the medium line 4 and pathogens from spreading there or the medium from freezing over in winter.